U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for August 9

WASHINGTON, Aug. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91889LOGO)

TUESDAY, AUGUST 9: ESCALATOR PATENT

Profile America — Tuesday, August 9th.  It's hard to imagine modern life without escalators.  Millions of people around the country use them everyday in subways, airports, shopping centers, and office buildings.  The first patent for a moving stairway was obtained on this date in 1859 by Nathan Ames, however, it was never built.  The first practical escalator was built by Jesse Reno in 1896 at Coney Island, New York.  Reno called his device an "inclined elevator."  The longest escalator in the western hemisphere is 230 feet long, at the Wheaton, Maryland station of the Washington Metro.  Making and installing escalators and elevators in the U.S. is a $2.6 billion a year business.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Kane's Famous First Facts, 2106

2007 Economic Census, NAICS 333921

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau